Vice President Mike Pence to visit KSC for National Space Council meeting

Vice President Pence spoke at Kennedy Space Center's Vehicle Assembly Building on the future of American leadership in space. Posted Thursday, July 6, 2017.

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Vice President Mike Pence visited Kennedy Space Center on July 6, 2017, and spoke to hundreds of employees inside the Vehicle Assembly Building. Pence returns Tuesday and Wednesday to chair the second meeting of the reconstituted National Space Council.(Photo: MALCOLM DENEMARK/FLORIDA TODAY)Buy Photo

Vice President Mike Pence will return to Kennedy Space Center this week for a National Space Council meeting.

Air Force Two is scheduled to touch down on KSC's former Shuttle Landing Facility at 5:35 p.m. Tuesday, according to Pence's official schedule. He will then tour launch facilities at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station and participate in a "commercial spaceflight federal reception."

The National Space Council, which the Trump administration re-established in June and Pence chairs, will hold its second meeting at 10 a.m. Wednesday at KSC's Space Station Processing Facility.

Titled “Moon, Mars, and Worlds Beyond: Winning the Next Frontier,” Pence's office said the meeting would include testimony from leaders in the civil, commercial and national security sectors about the importance of the United States' space enterprise.

The council, which existed as a similar body from 1958 to 1973 and then again from 1989 to 1993, includes the secretaries of state, defense, commerce and transportation, to name a few. It is tasked with reviewing U.S. space policy and long-term goals for developing space-related strategies, according to the executive order signed by President Trump.

Pence's visit to KSC comes a week after the release of the Trump administration's 2019 budget proposal for NASA, which includes $19.9 billion for the agency and seeks to focus near-term exploration on the moon while shifting responsibility for the International Space Station from NASA to industry or international partners. The number represents about a $400 million increase from this year.

Pence's visit will wrap up with a tour of KSC, his second since July, when the vice president delivered an address to roughly 1,000 KSC employees inside the Vehicle Assembly Building. During that 23-minute speech, he promised American boots on Mars and “the dawn of a new era of space exploration."

Vice President Mike Pence visited Kennedy Space Center on Thursday and spoke to hundreds of NASA workers inside the Vehicle Assembly Building. Vice President Pence chairs the National Space Council. Upon entering the VAB, Pence looks up amazed high the ceiling is inside, the building is over 500 feet tall. MALCOLM DENEMARK/FLORIDA TODAY

Vice President Mike Pence tours the Operations and Checkout Building at Kennedy Space Center with KSC Director Robert Cabana and others Thursday. They are examining some thermal tiles from Orion. Craig Bailey, Craig Bailey/FLORIDA TODAY

Vice President Mike Pence visited Kennedy Space Center on Thursday and spoke to hundreds of NASA workers inside the Vehicle Assembly Building. Vice President Pence chairs the National Space Council. Upon entering the VAB, Pence looks up amazed how high the building is. MALCOLM DENEMARK/FLORIDA TODAY

Vice President Mike Pence visited Kennedy Space Center and spoke to hundreds of NASA workers inside the Vehicle Assembly Building in July 2017. Former astronaut Buzz Aldrin talks to two astronauts before the speech. MALCOLM DENEMARK/FLORIDA TODAY

Vice President Mike Pence visited Kennedy Space Center in July 2017 and spoke to hundreds of NASA workers inside the Vehicle Assembly Building. Vice President Pence chairs the National Space Council. Former astronaut Buzz Aldrin received a big round of applause and cheers when introduced. MALCOLM DENEMARK/FLORIDA TODAY

Vice President Mike Pence visited Kennedy Space Center on Thursday and spoke to hundreds of NASA workers inside the Vehicle Assembly Building. Vice President Pence chairs the National Space Council. After his speech, Pence shook hands with the workers, posed for photos and took selfies with the employees. MALCOLM DENEMARK/FLORIDA TODAY

Vice President Mike Pence visited Kennedy Space Center on Thursday and spoke to hundreds of NASA workers inside the Vehicle Assembly Building. Vice President Pence chairs the National Space Council. After his speech, Pence shook hands with the workers, posed for photos and took selfies with the employees. MALCOLM DENEMARK/FLORIDA TODAY

Vice President Mike Pence visited Kennedy Space Center on Thursday and spoke to hundreds of NASA workers inside the Vehicle Assembly Building. Vice President Pence chairs the National Space Council. After his speech, Pence shook hands with the workers, posed for photos and took selfies with the employees. MALCOLM DENEMARK/FLORIDA TODAY

Vice President Mike Pence visited Kennedy Space Center on Thursday and spoke to hundreds of NASA workers inside the Vehicle Assembly Building. Vice President Pence chairs the National Space Council. After his speech, Pence shook hands with the workers, posed for photos and took selfies with the employees. MALCOLM DENEMARK/FLORIDA TODAY

Vice President Mike Pence tours the Operations and Checkout Building at Kennedy Space Center with KSC Director Robert Cabana and others Thursday. They are examining some thermal tiles from Orion. Craig Bailey/FLORIDA TODAY